Disc Reviews
by Max Ink Staff Writers
Squarewave - A Tighter Knot
Squarewave
Album title: A Tighter Knot
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2017
Label: Artisanal Records
(2477) Page Views
Bound by earnest concerns cresting in hypnotic topics and focused hopes bubbling with fearless endearments, “Tighter,” creeps half-asleep in deep-sea fatigue strung among tight-rope kaleidoscopes; a tense sensation somersaulting from beleaguered to exalted, smothered in displaced promises, uprooted in rooftop thoughts and lifted in shifting dreams. Paving dark, defiant highways where twisted detours pass wind-blown beachfronts smeared in silver-plated industrial-twang, Squarewave’s interstellar tremors race into an endless night hovering just past the hi-beams as love, freedom and release weave nomadic ballads between cataclysmic burn-outs dipped in dawn-breaking radiance and airless mechanics spinning molasses-wrapped melodies around storm-distorted chords. Shadow-soaked experiences made tangible in roaring prog-rock riffs. subversive psychedelic leads and driven New Wave rhythms; “Knot.” floats, emotes and coasts painting tasty hay-wired spirals amongst angular cliff-hangers.
The Rolling Stones - Rolling Stones From The Vault : L. A. Forum 1975
The Rolling Stones
Album title: Rolling Stones From The Vault : L. A. Forum 1975
By Gregory Hartumian
Posted: Apr 2017
Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment
(3195) Page Views
With 55-plus years of history, the Rolling Stones continue “pushing the envelope,” as Keith Richards was quoted. With the new “Exhibitionism” installation and public exhibit at Chicago’s Navy Pier, running Apr. 15 thru July 30 (www.stonesexhibitionism.com), the project is more of a stroll through their cumbersome history. One visits a re-creation of their dingy 1961 apartment, memorabilia, what it’s like to be backstage, and performance clothes, not to mention loads of photos.
However, it’s best to remember the music they produced over that timespan which is oddly pushed to the periphery with the exhibit. Eagle Rock Entertainment has been working with the Stones management, and band members, over the past decade in releasing audio and visual items that are prized by collectors. There are roughly one dozen rare videos concerts that have been floating around for years in varying degrees of quality.
The difference with the Eagle Rock Entertainment versions is the stunning sound quality, and picture quality, from being able to restore these pieces from their original elements, be it VHS, film, or digital formats. Unreleased shows like the Marquee Club 1971 (meant as a farewell before the band went into tax exile in France), Live in Hyde Park 1969 (the Brian Jones eulogy and introduction of Mick Taylor to the band), and Live In Texas 1978 (an amazing performance in amazing quality backing the “Some Girls’ album.)
Packaging for each piece is as varied as the formats: Blu-Ray provides bonus features, some sets include audio CDs of the program, even limited edition vinyl LPs make an appearance. All are well worth the investment, but let’s look at two DVD programs: Live At Hampton Coliseum 1981, and Live At The L.A. Forum 1975.
1981 was the year of “Tattoo You” and the resulting “Still Life” tour, where this item originated. It was Richard’s birthday show, and also the first satellite broadcast on pay-per-view. The Blu-Ray has additional footage of the pre-show shenanigans in the dressing room, a jam with George Thorogood, the opening act. The DVD, however, is jaw-dropping in itself by presenting the full 2 ½-hour concert uncut. The visuals are afforded a bright, clear and beautifully clean transfer and remixed audio from the digital feed and the multi-track tapes.
The L.A. Forum show is the one piece of note, having been in circulation through numerous versions of bootlegs, both video and through the legendary Mike Millard audio recording “Tour of the Americas 1975” box set, from July 12. The late Millard would purchase handicapped tickets, arrive in a wheelchair and be placed close to the stage’s venue, giving a prominent position to record from the stereo microphones hidden in his safety flag poles on either side of the chair. Numerous Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Mc Cartney shows were captured in spectacular sound quality using this method.
The video first mad its appearance in the 1980s in a truncated form, titled “Hot N’ Nasty,” giving a glimpse into what must have been an insane program. Later, 90-minute versions, and finally the full-length concert began its circulation. Fans have tried to lend their own acumen on equipment to clean the muddy picture, and expand the tinny soundboard feed that was equally muddy. All the efforts brought checkered results.
“Hot N’ Nasty” kicked off with disclaimers that it was privately shot, and follows a Chinese lizard-dragon working its way across the stadium floor, as it was the Year of the Dragon.
The famous “lotus petal” stage began to unfold to the tune of Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” with Mick Jagger jumping up and down on one of the hydraulic petals to rev up the crowd. “Honky Tonk Women/ If You Can’t Rock Me/ Get Off My Cloud” played as a medley, was a good opening salvo.
The Stones had a lot to prove, as the tour served to introduce Ron Wood, from Faces, as the guitar played replacing Taylor. He was also Richard’s running buddy, at the time, having previously auditioned Jeff Beck, Harvey Mandel, and Wayne Perkins for the slot.
The setlist was stocked with their best known hits, and went heavy on the current album, “Black N’ Blue,” and the previous one, “Goat’s Head Soup.”
For geeks, here’s the bottom line: if you are mildly interested in the Stones, this is for you. Working with videotapes made more than 40 years ago, the visual restoration is very, very good. It’s still from videotape but the colors are now vibrant and time-corrected, the fuzziness is not present, and when compared to the most prestigious bootleg version with the same name, there is no comparison.
The audio is the revelation. Mixed from the original multi-track tapes, it is now “in your face.” Bill Wyman, the bass player, is the proxy archivist of the band. How they sit on these things, and keep it quiet is interesting. For a sample of the 1975 show, a clip of the song, “Star Star” is on You Tube.
This is really a beautiful time capsule and gives the flavor and feeling of being in the stadium, with about seven camera angles including backstage looking to the crowd. “Sympathy for The Devil” closes out the show, with drummers and dancers hopping to the tribal beats.
Check out the full stable of the Rolling Stones vault series at Eagle Rock Entertainment.
The Obsessed - Sacred
The Obsessed
Album title: Sacred
By Sal Serio
Posted: Apr 2017
Label: Relapse
(2879) Page Views
Scott “Wino” Weinrich is back with the Doom/Stoner Rock innovators The Obsessed, to finally record a follow-up to 1994’s release ‘The Church Within’! Many know of Wino from his early days with Saint Vitus and more recent years fronting Spirit Caravan. In reforming The Obsessed, Wino has maintained lead vocal duties in a 4-piece studio band, and a stripped down power trio unit for live performances.
Engineer Frank Marchand has done an amazing job bringing an expansive, very live sound to the 14 tracks on this new CD project titled ‘Sacred’. The guitar sound is so immense it almost assumes a physical manifestation, and the chords hit like a head-on collision: concussive, dense, and impenetrable. Drummer Brian Costantino’s tempo is relentless and unforgiving, driving with jackhammer speed at times, evident on the more proto-punk stylings of “Haywire” and “Punk Crusher”.
While Wino is one of the key figureheads of the Doom Metal/Stoner Rock subgenres, this collection of songs does not fall in to a stereotypical trap, and does not rest on the laurels of a singular compositional mindset. As examples, the instrumental “Cold Blood” riffs a heavy groove for a full 3 minutes before firing up the lead guitar soloing. “Stranger Things” has a complex rhythm; verging on an intellectual prog rock format, and “On So Long” stretches out like an epic 70s-era slowburn hard rock jam.
Speaking of the 70s decade, Wino and company present two cover songs in this set. Thin Lizzy’s “It’s Only Money” and Mountain’s “Crossroader”, which help to complete the rungs of the ladder that bridge those influences that inspired Saint Vitus, with the 21st century vision of this current line-up of The Obsessed. I recommend ‘Sacred’ quite highly, and not necessarily just for the resident metal-head in your household.
Aimee Mann - Mental Illness
Aimee Mann
Album title: Mental Illness
By John Noyd
Posted: Mar 2017
Label: SuperEgo Records
(2972) Page Views
Stripping away all but what makes Aimee Man one of the finest songwriters of her generation., “Mental Illness,” dresses perceptive duress in simply stated fates; her rich sensuous voice kindly underlines in cleverly crafted melodies backed by studious acoustic guitar, airy string arrangements and cozy open-hearted choirs. Mann’s quietly enlightened ballads are lovingly framed in melancholy modesty, transforming forlorn warnings into picture-perfect curtain-calls, underscoring a razor-sharp intellect behind each sweet turn of phrase. Flinty pop symphonies swaddled in fallen-angel sympathy, Mann’s ninth solo endeavor blends affectionate reckoning inside faultless resolve, supporting each song’s struggling characters in warm compassion as objective conjecture meets earnest concern and blind-faith perseverance embraces patient consolation. Aimee plays Madison’s Barrymore Theater May 2nd along with beguiling ironist, talented troubadour Jonathan Coulton.
Six Organs of Admittance - Burning The Threshold
Six Organs of Admittance
Album title: Burning The Threshold
By John Noyd
Posted: Mar 2017
Label: Drag City
(2606) Page Views
Dispatched with placid mastery, wistful intricacy and evocative serendipity “Threshold,” unscrolls exquisite hobo road-trips extracting ecstatic patters from synaptic guitar acrobatics to form floral chorals merging in thorny harp-like flights tastefully laced with river-running percussion. White-water otters tramping in railroad-gypsy mystery, bewitched pixie proficiency and intuitive cruise-controlled industry, San Francisco’s Six Organs of Admittance blurs the lines between disciplined imaginations and improvised compositions; transcendental sentinels camping at heaven’s gate drizzling vigorous country-jazz arabesques over teeming, bohemian dreams. Enigmatic instrumentals sparkle among musical tarot-card readings weaving pastoral ballets entwined in sublime serpentine post-folk hypnosis; meditative cave-ins whose budding buddhic grooves greet shadow-chasing incantations dancing in the wind. Full of surprises, the band’s live performances are incredible. Catch them playing Milwaukee’s Colectivo Coffee’s Back Room April 12th.
The Dig - Bloodshot Tokyo
The Dig
Album title: Bloodshot Tokyo
By John Noyd
Posted: Feb 2017
Label: Roll Call Records
(2975) Page Views
As a quartet with three songwriters and two vocalists; The Dig’s albums enjoy a cohesive diversity whose seamless intrigue is fascinatingly balanced in a flashy crash-course of craft, cunning and clout. Doused in playful danger and buffed to a mouth-watering gloss, the slinky ministers of coy nocturnal joys ooze in musical ruses; moon-lit night-crawlers fed hearty helpings of glam-pop showbiz. Exposing unspoken hope behind feigned disdain, the cavalier, “Bloodshot,” plots love-doctor rock with percussive struts and balcony-pelted promises. Flirtatious hooks planted between impatient bass, tweaked keys and bedroom harmonies roam in dramatic undertones as edgy after-hours elegies peddling shadow-seeking jealousies sneak back-seat speeches past thorny romance, heartsick visions and bruised egos. The Dig plays Milwaukee’s Shank Hall March 31st along with Nico Yaryan and Kolars.
Sepultura - Machine Messiah
Sepultura
Album title: Machine Messiah
By Sal Serio
Posted: Jan 2017
Label: Nuclear Blast
(3519) Page Views
‘Machine Messiah’ marks the 14th studio album by Brazilian masters of thrash metal Sepultura, and emphatically could be their best release since 1989’s ‘Beneath The Remains’. Thanks to the inventive arrangements by the band, and the superbly crisp engineering by Jens Bogren at the Swiss Fascination Street Studios, the Sepultura vision is razor sharp and painstakingly realized on their new 2017 effort.
The opening title track begins with quiet, intricate, guitar picking by Andreas Kisser and the calm, reassuring vocals of Derrick Green, building to a soaring lead guitar solo at 1:45, and by the 2:50 mark becomes more angry as the tempo builds and Green instructs the listener to “bow down to the Machine Messiah”. The next track, “I Am The Enemy” is a brief 2:27 blast of intensely brutal thrash attack. “Phantom Self” is colored by detailed and insanely tight drum fills courtesy of Eloy Casagrande, and features orchestration doing battle with the guitar fills as Green is “transformed in to his Phantom Self”.
The instrumental “Iceberg Dances” is seriously epic and thematic heavy metal, yet is filled out by keyboards and classical guitar! This 46 minute metal manifesto comes to a close with pure, unadulterated classic Sepultura: the fierce statement of “Cyber God”. Not even 2 weeks in to 2017, this release gives me great hope for the promise of powerful musical moments to come.
London May - Devilution: The Early Years
London May
Album title: Devilution: The Early Years
By Sal Serio
Posted: Jan 2017
Label: Cleopatra Records
(3449) Page Views
One of the most unusual but highly intriguing releases of 2016 is the London May ‘Devilution: The Early Years’ compilation (CD pressing limited to 1,000 copies). May is a punk rock drummer and actor who began in Baltimore thrashing out the beat for bands like Rat Patrol and Reptile House, which led to work with Washington D.C. punk icons Dag Nasty. Eventually the road led May west to California and gigs with some of punk’s biggest names like Samhain and the Circle Jerks.
Quite a few of these tracks are unreleased, including the selections by the Circle Jerks (live rehearsal of “Wonderful”), Samhain (live), and two Dag Nasty songs. Also included are several songs seeing the first light of day in a digital format. Especially cool is the inclusion of the song “Nuthin” by Lunch Box, which is the only release by this legendary punk band that later included guitarist Ron Emory of T.S.O.L.
Most of my favorite selections from this excellent high-energy compilation are from the more obscure bands like Voice Of Doom, Dead White & Blue, DogPile, and Distorted Pony. There is a commonality running through these 15 songs (by 11 different groups) which of course is London May’s rock steady drum pulse, but also a raunch ‘n roll catchy punk attitude that is easy to swallow, reminiscent of some of the most tuneful punker groups like CH3, T.S.O.L., and Social Distortion.
The Raptor Trail - Devil On An Indian
The Raptor Trail
Album title: Devil On An Indian
By Sal Serio
Posted: Jan 2017
Label: MBM Entertainment
(3458) Page Views
The third release from North Carolina’s melodic prog rock trio The Raptor Trail is a full-on concept album written by multi-instrumentalist Matt Mayes, which details an internal clash between Native American spirituality and 21st century white Christian morality, and inevitably results in an apocalyptic conclusion.
While the theme is intense and demands a certain amount of rapt attention, the music is an overall uplifting and diversely varied experience, featuring instrumentation ranging from the conventional guitar/bass/drums, to the more esoteric guijo, banjo, and various keyboards/effects/percussion. Combining the fascinating storyline with this creative and extremely high level of musicianship results in a special mixture that brings to mind the best works of rockers like Rush or Max Webster, along with the roots music and poetic activism of Bruce Cockburn and John Trudell. The vocals of Matt Mayes, John Meyer, and special guest Edwin McCain keep the proceedings enjoyable and accessible to fans of a multitude of rock music genres.
While the ‘Devil On An Indian’ concept is best taken in as a whole, there are also several tracks that stand on their own strength. My recommendations are “Quaker Pets”, “Froth Squelch”, “The Vanishing Point”, and “Red Giant”.
Foxygen - Hang
Foxygen
Album title: Hang
By John Noyd
Posted: Dec 2016
Label: Jagjaguwar
(3058) Page Views
Recorded and mixed entirely on two-inch tape without a computer in sight, “Hang,” retro-wrangles singular pinnacles from the shoulders of old-school giants with bold homage bathed in brass, back-up singers and Bowie-disposed burlesque. Employing a forty-plus piece orchestra on every track as well as recruiting fellow extroverts from The Lemon Twigs and Flaming Lips, the proverbial kids in the candy store produced tightly-wrapped bombast that’s a total gas. Mixing solid gold seventies chemistry alongside heartfelt soul explosions, Foxygen’s starry-eyed carnies boast Lugosi-toasted vocals exalting a pole-vaulted vaudeville whose giddy symphonies by melodramatic patsies attach unabashed razzmatazz to theatrical malice and cavalier sneers to guileless choirs. Don’t miss out when the electric circus comes to town for some cool tomfoolery April 1st at Madison’s Majestic Theater.
The Transgressions - Fucked Up
The Transgressions
Album title: Fucked Up
By Brian McKay
Posted: Dec 2016
Label: It's Alive Records
(2984) Page Views
The new Transgressions album, Fucked Up, is a great coming of age pop punk record. Channeling The Ramones with short and sweet songs that will hook you after a single listen of the album. It takes a more positive outlook with songs where the loser gets the girl but compliments and contrasts with themes of just wanting to get high and leave everything behind. Each song catches the listener immediately with Ben’s sneering vocal hooks. This record definitely shows growth not just in songwriting, but in life. It shows how punks of a generation removed have become disillusioned yet somehow regain a sense of positivity. Most songs clock within the 1 to 2 minute range and are just the short burst of energy we’ve come to expect from The Transgressions. “Holey Fuck” is a catchy anthem about worn out clothes and the apathy that it comes with. “You’re the One” is the quintessential pop punk love song, combining a love for The Ramones with a love for opiates into a perfect match in this catchy tune. “Fucked Up” tells the tale of punk rock growing up but not giving up.
Harvey Mandel - Snake Pit
Harvey Mandel
Album title: Snake Pit
By Sal Serio
Posted: Dec 2016
Label: Tompkins Square
(2615) Page Views
Musician Harvey “The Snake” Mandel has always been a hard one to categorize, but one can never deny his unparalleled level of excellence on the guitar. Detroit-born, Chicago-raised, and San Francisco-influenced, Mandel consistently seemed to be a couple steps ahead of the trends, being an early innovator of two-handed fretboard tapping, and distinguishing his sound with a mastery of syncopated phrasing, razor-edged sustain, and a genius touch when it comes to command of his effects pedals, as well as such natural phenomena as volume/feedback control.
Mandel, who has been battling illness in recent years, is back with his first studio album in ten years, the aptly titled ‘Snake Pit’, and it is a gross understatement to say it was merely worth the wait. These 10 instrumentals span blues to jazz, hard rock to jammy improv, and show enough chops, licks, and Snake’s unique signature style, to make any lover of the guitar stand up and take notice. ‘Snake Pit’ rivals any of the classic 1970s Mandel releases, and proves unequivocally why “The Snake” is one of rock’s most revered and formidable axe masters. It’s impossible to pick any individual track to study on ‘Snake Pit’, as they are all intense and inspirational in their own way, which truly illustrates what an amazing body of work this is.
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